Din Eidyn Corpus (Book 2): dEaDINBURGH (Alliances) by Mark Wilson Page A

new home for all these people, Mrs Shephard. Or as our defensive retreat.” Joey jabbed a finger at the map indicating the communities they’d been poring over. “We have a much more secure place to take them.”
     
    Alys was stunned. Joey had received something from his mother? He had the keys to Edinburgh Castle? How was that possible?
      Turning to her mother, she found the same bewildered expression on Jennifer’s face as well as a trace of a bitter smile.
    “That Castle is impenetrable, boy. There’s a portcullis that twenty men couldn’t budge and the main gates are heavy oak corrugated with iron. Plenty have tried over the years, but have failed to make a dent in it. Those who did try made enough noise to bring hundreds of The Ringed running for a free meal.   The place is sealed. One way in, one way out, and no-one can open the defensive doors and gates.”
    Joey jutted his chin at the keys.
    “We can,” he said, shrugging.
    “We can?” Alys asked.
    Joey’s smile disappeared. “Yes. We most certainly can.”
     
    Jennifer clapped her hands together loudly and laughed the dustiest, most disused laugh Alys had ever heard. An alien sound coming from her stoic mother, it made Alys’s tears burst and her heart swell.
    Both women thanked Joey in their usual manner. His shoulders hurt for a whole day.

Chapter 12
     
    Joey
     
    Jennifer had been reinvigorated by Joey’s disclosures and moved again with her old vim.
    “Well done, Alys. Well done, b... Joseph. We have so much to do and we’re short-handed as it is, with Emily and Jessica out looking for Steph…”
    Alys’s eyes blazed wide, cutting Jennifer off.
    Joey’s head whipped around.
    “What about Steph? Where is she?” Joey’s voice was shrill, panicked.
    He looked to Jennifer and Alys pleading for an answer.
    Jennifer rubbed at the back of her head, embarrassed.
    “Sorry, I thought Alys had told you.”
    “Told me what, Alys?” Joey rounded on her as Jennifer gave them their privacy, slipping out into the garden.
    Alys’s facial expression went neutral.
    “She ran away a few nights ago, that’s why I didn’t meet you at Suzy’s. We couldn’t find her.”
    Joey picked up his rucksack and slid an arm through a strap.
    “Well, let’s go then.”
    “We’ve searched for her, and she actually did a very good job of evading tracking. She didn’t want found, Joe. Chances are, she’s dead. You know that.”
    Dropping his bag, Joey approached Alys and placed a hand in hers. The tears flowed shamelessly down his cheeks.
    “I’m so sorry, Alys. You must be devastated.”
    Alys whirled away from him and began busying herself, adding to Joey’s map notes.
    “I’m fine. There’s nothing we can do now anyway.”
    Joey’s eyes narrowed as he watched Alys amend the map, adding her own notes and borders. He hadn’t really noticed how tired she looked. To be fair, he’d been too busy being stunned by the situation that had played out between mother and daughter, and finally too caught up in planning for Somna. She had his full attention now.
     
    Moving his eyes over her face and body, Joey’s heart sank at how exhausted, how spent Alys looked. Now he bothered to look, it was clear that she hadn’t slept in some time. To him, her best friend, it was equally obvious that she had closed off any emotions she might be feeling about her cousin’s likely death.
    Joey ached to pull Alys into his arms and give her a place and an excuse to cry, to vent or to rail and rage, but that wasn’t who she was. He joined her on the floor, adding to notes and commenting on hers, idly chatting about what he’d been doing in the days since they’d parted.
    In the previous weeks the curtains in front of their entire world had been pulled back, exposing a worse place beyond. All illusions were gone, all abandonment issues and feelings of isolation intensified and magnified. But in the scant few days since they’d seen each other, Suzy Wheels and Michelle